New customer called me to install a ACS he had from a previous location , dial-tone is being provided by Comcast . I told him at the time of install that he may have issues faxing with Comcast but he wanted to give it a try .

its been a few months and its a on again , off again issue . loop current was in the high 30s so I put a regulator on it seemed to help for a few weeks . It seems like they will go for a week or so with no issues then they suddenly cant fax . Comcast off course says there is no problem using their lines for data

I just got a call and he wants it fixed but he doesn't want to get a POTS line from Verizon the only thing I can think of at this point is to pull everything else off that line (cc machine , Postage meter , second answer only fax ) and have the Comcast line go directly to the machine I doubt that will help since I have had them unplugging the devices when there is a problem .

I'm going to put some fax software on my laptop and try that so we can eliminate the fax machine

any other suggestions ?

it seems like the fact that its intermittent points to line quality issues

Skip, it is probably a VOIP matter. Some CATV providers aren't using it yet, but many are. The issue with faxes usually doesn't affect a short one, say one or two pages, but after that, it is a crap shoot. It is because of the rate of compression used by VOIP. They might try tinkering with the resolution settings on the fax, but again, that will be hit or miss.

I just went out on a call to add two new POTS lines for a customer's fire alarm panel. I tried to explain to them that two more lines from the same provider's soft switch is not going to solve the problem. Even the CLEC's technician tried to tell them this, but the customer didn't want to hear it. What ended up happening? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. They still have problems with communication failure.

I've tried all the fax settings ED , spent a couple of hours there the other day .I had the same issue with a fire alarm panel it wouldn't work with Comcast so they had to get a pots line in for it . the thing is I've had other customers using it with no problem

they do need to send long fax's but what happens is maybe a page goes through before the machine kicks back a error , usually it just wont connect , then its fine for a week or so

I'm concerned if they go with Verizon they will get a FIOS line and see the same issues

Gary , tried that the other day , thanks , error correction off ,baud down , no change

it seems like the fact that its intermittent points to line quality issues

I have to agree Skip. I have several customers with fax machines on Comcast and never had an issue. We are about to install one of the Comcast PRI's and Comcast will not guaranty Faxing on it. They do support fax on simulated loop lines. I just love the fact that you warned about fax problems when switching to Comcast and now you get the call instead of Comcast.

Logged

"Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master." - George Washington

When ever I get a customer putting in a circuit like this or similar, they always have problem faxing.So I usually call up the provider and tell them that this number XXX-XXX-XXXX is a fax number andthey MUST remove compression from THAT line.

If I get someone that does NOT say, "HUH??" then the fax starts working.

They compress the lines to bring them in.They have to remove compression from specific lines that are fax lines.

I just had another site a couple weeks ago, that I also had a RAD (Remote Access Device) on the system. (norstar)I started to think that I had a bad RAD unit. Would connect but then nothing and disconnect.Then the light bulb went on. This is also a data unit.I called the provider and told them to uncompress that DID number that the RAD answers.Voila - RAD started working. Haven't had a problem since.

I was there yesterday , the Comcast "tech " had been there , he removed my loop current regulator form the the 66 block and left a note saying the voltage was fine and there was no reason to regulate it . he also unplugged and removed the cabling for " the stick " telling the customer they should get their money back because it wasn't doing anything off course faxing still wasn't working

he left a card so I called him . I asked him about the regulator and when he said the voltage was fine I asked him about MA

Milli amps , well he never heard of that ?

he had never heard of compression either but said he would check with his tech support and call back , to his credit he called back a hour or so later and said they never heard of "compression" either but they found some "stuff" on the line that shouldn't have been there and removed it

I downloaded some FAX software for the laptop and noticed it was Auto Negotiating at 14.4 down to 12 so I set the machines for the lowest setting We sent a half dozen test fax's with no issues so time will tell . I had set the machines at the lowest setting last time I was there but apparently he set them back , the customer said he was in adjusting the settings on the machine

off course the customer has gone ahead and ordered Comcast for the other location too

I did love that Marc , I'm dealing with the manger at the branch location and she rolled her eyes when she told me that . I said you think he would have waited until we got this straightened out ..she said "yea you would think..."

now to make it even more interesting its just the two branch's faxing each other they rarely fax anywhere else , so even if we cured it on this end ,it could be a problem on the far end and still ....."it dont work , fix it "

When you have to tweek fax speeds and quality to work over an IP network to me would be a deal breaker. I fight the same things here, but I just tell them to call the cable provider and don't get involved if at all possible.

First question and statement. Did it work before you switched? Yes. Than it's not the fax machine.

problem here is , its a new branch two new fax machines so I cant use that . She was asking me about cabling yesterday and I reminded here that they ran the cable (cat6 for voice voice and data in a 3 person office ) I was called in to terminate and install.